5 min read
Discover exactly what an environmental search covers, what the report results mean, how much it could cost you, and why you need one when buying a house.
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An environmental search is a key part of the conveyancing process which identifies any health or financial risks with a property and its surrounding land. These risks can include contamination, flooding, or ground stability, which may affect the home's safety or value. In this guide, we explain what an environmental search involves, why it matters, and how it can help you make a more informed decision when buying a house.
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An environmental search reviews the property you are buying and its surrounding areas. It looks at current and historical records for any potential health or financial risks, such as checking whether the property is on or near contaminated land or water and flooding or landslips from nearby rivers or lakes. If you are using a mortgage, it's likely your lender will require these searches to be carried out.
In addition to an environmental search, a local authority search, a water and drainage search, and a land registry search are also completed.
Environmental searches highlight key factors, which could potentially become a serious health risk to those living in the property, such as toxic chemicals in the soil. They can also reveal issues which may affect your ability to get buildings insurance or could mean you'll need to pay a premium.
An environmental search report will typically cover:
Contamination to the land from previous industrial land use, such as landfill sites or toxic substances in the soil.
Flood risks from poor drainage, groundwater flooding, or close proximity to waterways.
Ground stability and subsidence that may affect the foundations of the property putting it at risk of cracks or sinking.
Radon gas is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that comes out of the ground. If the land is in an affected area, specific safety measures, such as ventilation, will need to be carried out.
Energy and infrastructure to determine any disruptive works happening or planned nearby, such as power stations, rail developments, or wind or solar farms.
Development constraints that could restrict your ability to expand or have works done in and around your property due to designated protected areas, such as conservation areas, Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs), or sites of special scientific interest (SSSI).
Climate risks to predict how the land or property could be affected by future changes to the climate, including heat stress, sea level rises, and coastal changes.
Your environmental search report will tell you whether your property has passed or if you need to take further action.
Passed: No significant risks were identified and you can progress with your purchase if you wish. You'll also receive a certificate and an insurance cover or warranty to confirm that there was no contamination found at the site.
Further action: Potential risks were identified and your conveyancer will explain the options to you. These include deciding not to proceed with your purchase, negotiating a lower offer, or asking the seller to resolve the issue before exchanging contracts.
If your environmental search reveals potential risks associated with the property and its land, the person responsible for the pollution will need to pay for any remedial action. If the original party responsible for any contamination cannot be found, the cost for all clean-up activities will fall to the landowner.
Buying a property is already a big financial commitment. An environmental search identifies these issues that could lead to unexpected costs or affect the property's value in the future. This includes issues that you'd have to spend money on to rectify or that would make the property harder to sell.
This is why it's crucial to have an environmental search before committing to a property to make sure you're not financially liable for any remediation.
Environmental searches typically cost between £50 and £150 in the UK, although it can vary depending on the provider and the level of detail you need. At My Home Move Conveyancing, our quotes include the cost for conveyancing searches upfront. Get a quote to see your full conveyancing cost or find out more about the cost of conveyancing searches in our article explaining conveyancing fees.
When you sell a house, any conveyancing searches are paid for and owned by the buyer, including an environmental search, meaning this shouldn't cost you anything. Most searches are insurance backed in case the search provider has made an error (which is rare), meaning the buyer will have this benefit as well.
The total cost of an environmental search may be pushed up due to certain factors such as:
Land area: If the property comes with a large amount of land, it may take longer to review.
Property type: If the property has a commercial aspect to it, such as a flat above a shop, you may need a commercial environmental search.
Location: If there are any major concerns about the previous land use, such as if the property is an old coal mining spot or there is a high risk of flooding, you may need to pay for additional searches.
An environmental search usually takes around one to two weeks to complete. However, it could take longer if additional information is needed or there are delays. For example, if the environmental search report indicates further action, you may need to get specialist appraisal. This normally involves a more detailed review of the historical records and consultations with the Environment Agency. If the environmental search is for a commercial property, it may also involve a site visit, which could add several weeks to the process.
Although environmental searches are not a legal requirement when buying a house, they are strongly recommended, especially before legal ownership is transferred. The environmental searches future-proof your investment and gives you peace of mind that you won't run into any unexpected risks with your new home.
When buying a house, there are quite a few types of conveyancing searches you will need to get done, such as environmental searches, local authority search, and a land registry search. It is strongly recommended that you understand your property and its surrounding land before continuing with the purchase.
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